Towson University's athletics department saw a 50 percent increase in total revenue last year and is positioning itself to build on that growth.

Athletics Director Tim Leonard said the largest gain was in ticket sales, which increased 81 percent, mostly thanks to record-setting sales of men's basketball tickets. Season ticket sales for the men's basketball team increased by a staggering 209 percent while student attendance was up 194 percent.

Leonard attributed the spike to the SECU Arena, which opened in 2013, and the team's second-place finish in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Ticket sale growth continues to be a top priority for Towson. The university last month started outsourcing its season ticket sales to Atlanta-based Aspire Group, which also handles season ticket sales for the University of Maryland.

Another significant gain for the athletics department was its annual fundraising campaign, Leonard said. The athletics department raised nearly $1 million – a 20 percent increase from the previous year.

Apparel sales rose to $200,000, a 45 percent increase from the previous year. Leonard said part of that increase could be attributed to the football team's appearance in the FCS Championship game.

Now, Leonard said, Towson is focused on sustaining its growth.

"We can’t spike and go down the next year," he said. "If we’re up 50 percent next year, we need to be up 25 percent and we need to focus on compounding growth."

Towson wants to expand its reach in the community. The university has signed a one-year deal with WJZ-AM (1300) to broadcast all men's basketball and football games. Leonard declined to disclose financial terms of the deal, but said it was done to give the university a permanent broadcast partner.

"We wanted an on-air broadcast partner that gives us some validity and I think it was important for our coaches in terms of recruiting," he said.